Durant, Thompson Help Warriors To Game 1 Win

Durant scores 37 while Thompson adds 28 as Warriors steal homecourt

HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- The homecourt advantage the Rockets spent six months trying to secure is gone after losing game one of the Western Conference Finals to the Golden State Warriors 119-106.

Kevin Durant's 37 point night led Golden State. He shot 14-of-27 from the field and made half of his six three-point attempts, while Klay Thompson added 28 points, connecting on six 3-pointers. Those two, along with Stephen Curry combined to score 83 of Golden State's 119 points, taking 60 of its 80 shots.

Starting a playoff series on the road for the first time in the Steve Kerr era, the Warriors shot 52.5 percent from the field and only had nine turnovers.

Despite leading by as many as nine in the first quarter, the Rokcets led 30-29 after 12 minutes. Chris Paul knocked down a 3-pointer 52 seconds into the second to make it a 4-point game, but the Warriors scored the next six points to take their first lead of the night. A Curry layup with 4:29 left befor halftime gave Golden State a 49-42 lead only to see the Rockets score seven straight to tie it, and following a pair of Thompson free throws James Harden scored seven in a row on a step-back three-pointer and back-to-back dunks for the fourt lead change of the quarter, however, Nick Young tied the game for the sixth time in the period with 11 seconds left. The score was 56-56 at the break. Harden led the Rockets with 24 points while Durant gave the Warriors 17.

The team's traded buckets after the break, but Durant connected from deep on the Warriors second possession of the half and the Warriors led the rest the way with the lead growing to as many as 13 when he hit a 16-foot jumper with 2:23 left. The Rockets answered with eight in a row as the quarter ended with Golden State leading 87-80.

Eric Gordon started the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer to draw the Rockets within four, but Thompson got that triple right back and Warriors pushed the lead back to 12. The Rockets got the lead down to seven when Harden canned a shot from long distance with 4:41 to play, but after Harden's fourth turnover of the night, Draymond Green found Thompson for a wide open three from the left corner to make it a 10-point game again. The Rockets never got closer than eight the rest of the way.

Harden led all scorers with 41 points on 14-of-24 shooting and 11 assists while Paul gave the Rockets 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Gordon scored 15 points off the bench while Clint Capela chipped in 12 points and six rebounds, but P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute combined to miss all nine of their field goal attempts.

The Rockets will look to avoid falling in an 0-2 hole when they host the Warriors in game two, Wednesday night.